Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Bold Yogretchen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Bold Yogretchen’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; dark orange-colored ray florets; natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Bold Yogretchen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bold Yogretchen’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yogretchen, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,672. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Yogretchen in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable infloresence form, attractive ray floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Bold Yogretchen has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bold Yogretchen’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bold Yogretchen’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. Dark orange-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern         Hemisphere.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yogretchen, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three days         later than plants of the cultivar Yogretchen.     -   2. Plant of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yogretchen         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Yogretchen had lighter orange-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Jennifer, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,987. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Jennifer in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were slightly smaller but         more rounded in plant form than plants of the cultivar Jennifer.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Jennifer.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Jennifer.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days         earlier than plants of the cultivar Jennifer.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Gedi Two Omol, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,382. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Omol in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more         orange in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Gedi         Two Omol.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum resisted         fading better than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Gedi         Two Omol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of the ‘Bold Yogretchen’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Bold Yogretchen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Bold     Yogretchen. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yogretchen, disclosed in U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 13,672. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, year-round.—About four days at 21°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, year-round.—About ten to             twelve days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             rounded crown. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading . Freely branching with about 13 lateral branches             per plant. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 28 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 14 cm. Diameter: About             5.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 3.3 cm. Width: About 3.2 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed; sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: More green than             147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 146A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More green than 147A.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B.             Venation, upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower             surface: Close to 146A to 146B. Petiole: Length: About 2 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and             ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences face mostly upright or outwardly.             Inflorescences hemispherical in shape. Freely flowering             habit; about 15 inflorescences develop per lateral branch.             Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle diameter:             About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.4 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 6.5 mm. Width: About 7 mm. Apex:             Emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Surface: Concave. Orientation: Initially upright,             then perpendicular to the peduncle. Number of ray florets             per inflorescence: About 195 in numerous whorls. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 154A overlain             with close to 46A to 53A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 10A overlain with 46A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 10B to 10C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 4 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: Very             few, less than ten; inconspicuous. Color: Immature: Close to             154A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close to 154D.             Base: More green than 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length:             About 7 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Deltoid, elongated.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower             surface: More green than 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 5.1 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 8.5 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 10.6 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45°             from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen: None observed.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be have good garden performance and to be tolerant to     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C. 

1. A new and disctinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Bold Yogretchen’, as illustrated and described. 